The Sangheili Chronicles Book I: Heretic or Hero?
by Sergeant Murph
Summary: Some say the Honor Guard are the shield of the Covenant... Ones that will do anything to prevent harm to the Hierarchs. One Honor Guard proves different. No one guessed that he would go from being just another pawn, to becoming the hero he never imagined.
1. Prologue

Heretic or Hero?

**--none of the characters or places in my story that are mentioned in the Halo story belong to me, save for the ones I have created myself--**

This story revolves around an Elite Honor Guard that was ignored by all others. Protecting the Prophet of Regret was the only job he knew, that is until his master's incident with the Master Chief. The last thing he expected was to go from guarding a demon in a chair, to becoming the hero he never imagined possible.

These two chapters are kind of an introduction. Don't worry. There is plenty of action to come.

-- --Prolouge--

I Regret Nothing

I admit to myself now that I was a coward, afraid to face the greatest warrior alive. My mind was seemingly frozen. All I did in that tower was watch as the noble Prophet of Regret was being massacred by the Demon. What could I do? Stand and fight as all others of my kind had tried,

and failed?

No. Any attempt to stop the Demon would ruin everything. Things were hard enough as it was for myself. Dying was out of the question. My intent was no longer to protect Regret, but to flee, to save my own life from a painful death.

"Scared, Demon? Are you afraid of me? Afraid that I will wipe you and your cursed race from existence?" Bellowed the Prophet, a blinding smile spreading across his face. Suddenly, there was a loud crunch, followed by an irritating groan from Regret. The Demon had landed his fist upon the holy Prophet's face! I saw him wince in pain, surprised by the Demon's quick assault.

"Guards!" he croacked, "Kill the Demon!"

As he said this, two Honor Guards, who shared the same image as me, red armored with gold attachments on their heads and arms, hurdled over dead bodies, swinging their swords at their Prophet's assassin.

Both were viciously slaughtered by the Demon, shot to death with a powerful human weapon. They bled uncontrollably on the surface.

I couldn't watch anymore

I crept out from behind the pillar I had been hiding behind, very slowly, so as not to draw attention to myself. Screams from dying Elites could be heard throughout the giant room. Grunts ran around in fear of being slaughtered, Regret and the Demon were furiously fighting it out down bellow, while I watched. Watched my religion crumble. All my options seemed risky, hanging onto a thin thread. What was I to do?

I ran.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, across the room, ignoring other Honor Guards who sprinted past me, giving me a suspicious look. I ventured past the Prophet and Demon, and up the stairs to the exit.

"Coward! Coward!" bellowed a grunt, bleeding all over. I saw the sadness in his face, that look that said 'I'm going to die. It's over'

I shoved my lesser aside, not even thinking about his emotions, or anyone elses, for that matter.

I continued running for only a moment until I felt something I hadn't felt for a long time. Something that really got my attention. Something that made me stop and breath.

I felt the Holy Prophet of Regret's eyes on my back. I could feel his helpless glare as the Demon delivered his final fatal blows. It was like the second he gazed upon my red and gold armor, leaving him in his time of need, he knew that all was lost. I couldn't gather up enough strength to look my master in the eyes.

They never respected me. I won't respect them.

"Fool," I muttered under my breath. I cast aside my gold attachments and left the room, with Regrets last scream echoing behind me.


	2. Adrift

**Chapter 1**

Adrift

For days it haunted me, the death of the Prophet. Would I take the blame for his death, simply because I was the last Elite alive that was in that tower? Would the Prophet of Truth have me executed for betrayal against a Covenant Hierarch? What was worse, the only place I could thnk about this was in a lone Banshee, Soaring just above the ring world.

My escape had been out of pure luck, just as the temple was about to be destroyed, I escaped in a Banshee docked on the backside of the building. For the first time something had actually gone my way.

I sighed. What had I gotten myself into?

Unlike most others, I didn't want to join the Covenant. Of course, I never told anyone this, in fear of what others would think. It was not my choice, but the choice of the Hierarchs, who had come to our planet, demanding another loading of Sangheili warriors. Our race had been a part of Covenant Hierarchy for some time then, while I was only young. Soon after I was told I would experience the war up close, my father was killed as a result of rebelling against the Prophets about loading the young Sangheili. That was when I lost everything, and was sentenced to serve Regret.

I soon approached High Charity after flying in circles for 3 days. I could already feel the sting of Truth's gaze as I landed in the hanger.

There was much confusion , with several Phantoms taking off, infantry scurrying around, and Truth broadcasting a message over the entire station. Some were listening, many were upset and screaming.

"_** A covenant hierarch was recently attacked by the demon. The Prophet of Regret was indeed...**_****

"You. Major," interupted a SpecOps Officer, "come with me,"

I gazed around for a moment, looking for the red armored Elite Major that the officer was talking about. I then realized that he was talking to me, simply because without the gold attachments, I looked like a normal red armored Elite Major. I acted normally, avoiding the fact that I wasn't actually a major.

"Yes sir,"

_**The Sangheili take full responsiblity for the assassination. Any remaining members of the battle will be punish...**_****

"I cannot stand the ignorance of that creature. Always blaming our race for everything!" The officer said in a voice that only I could hear.

I nodded, trying to be as polite and agreeing as possible. Who knew what would happen if he found out?

Suddenly, we both stopped. He turned his head slwoly until he was facing me. "Where did you just come from anyway?" He asked, a look of suspicion in his eyes. What was I to tell him? If i told him I was in the tower, I would surely be executed. It had to be kept secret.

"The other side of the station," I said without thinking, hoping he would believe me. I could feel my heart racing as he squinted for a moment, looking hard into my eyes as I did the same to his.

**to my relief, he nodded, and continued walking. I followed.**

I followed him down a series of hallways, accompanied by many other Elites, Brutes, Grunts, and Jackals. All of them carried weapons, tightened their armor. We then turned left, as all others turned right, and walked down one blank hall. Finally we arrived at the Armory.

I looked at him, baffled. What was this all about?

"The Humans have taken several outposts on our ring. Grab your weapons, get ready for combat," said the officer, then he left the room swift and quick, leaving only me with my mouth wide open, staring at the weapons in awe. I lifted my head to the heavens.

"Ugggghhhhhhhh," I groaned "After all of what I've just been through, he wants me to _**fight?"**_****

I looked carefully at the weapon choices. Plasma Rifles and Pistols, Needlers, Carbines, and many other weapons. Just the thought of firing a shot at the enemy made me cringe. The only times I had ever actually fired were in training. I took a Plasma Rifle and a Needler anyway, putting them both on my belt as I left the room.

Retracing my footsteps, I made my way back to the hangar, and climbed on board one of the docked Phantoms, already accompanied by many others.

I eyed one Ultra, decked out in shining silver armor. I watched him shove an Unggoy aside as he took it's spot. The Grunt didn't think to rebel for a moment, as the Ultra had an intimidating, frightening look in his eyes.

He looked over at me for a moment. I nearly tripped and fell when our eyes met.

It was going to be quite a ride.

To be Continued...

_**End Transmission**_


	3. Frontline

_**Chapter 2**_****

Frontline

The constant bickering going on in the Phantom was distracting, Elites expressing their personal feelings about Truth's broadcast. Of course, none of them had anything kind to say.

"Full responsibility? Isn't it the Honor Guards' duty to protect the Prophets? Why should we be the ones taking the blame? Our infantry was doing all we could to stop the Demon!" shouted the Ultra that had given me that strange look.

"Calm, Kovalee. All we can do now is show the Hierarchs that we are their greatest warriors," replied a SpecOps Elite. I noticed he said this very carefully, as if he was afraid to upset him.

Then, the one called Kovalee, shook his heads, and continued talking.

"Cowards, the Honor Guards were. If they're job was to protect the Hierarchs at all costs, why is Regret dead? Obviously they are not so honorable."

The instant I heard cowards and Honor Guards linked together, I was steaming, annoyed that this soldier would dare insult the Honor Guard of the Covenant in such a manner. What did he know?

_**Calm down**_**, I thought to myself, taking a deep breath. Fighting would only get me into more trouble. I sat against the wall, drowning out all other voices, and waited.**

Hours later we landed in the snowy peeks of Delta Halo. It was an amazing sight, being so high up in the mountains, looking back at the lake.

Looking back at where the temple once stood. Four day old memories were brought back.

"My brothers, recently we have been unfairly blamed for Regret's death. But now, we shall regain our honor, and continue our quest to salvation!" shouted the SpecOps officer that had brought me to the armory. He looked around at all of us.

A battle cry came from every soldier there, except me. I remained silent, just as I always had.

"We shall split up to find these outposts. They are the key to taking back our sacred ring," the officer stated, gathering us all together to split us up.

Every squad was made up of two elites, eight grunts, and two jackals. My partner just happened to be the one I hated most. The _**only**_** one I hated for that matter. Kovalee, the Ultra Elite.**

Immediately, he stepped up in front of us, giving us all a quick scan. I heard him grunt when he saw me. Apparently, he was the leader of our squad, and no one argued.

"We shall make a path southeast. I suspect the Humans are camping somewhere by the lake. There are plenty of forgotten ruins for the cowards to hide behind."

I saw him look over the mountain and sigh, as if he didn't want to leave. As if he wanted the Humans to come to him.  


**  
We parted ways with the rest of the crew, and began our march. Kovalee walked beside me, making me feel very short. He was at least a foot taller than me and was very broad shouldered. His legs were tremendously strong, as if they could jump across planets.**

For a good amount of time we walked, all of us rather silent. Every once and a while Kovalee would shake off the pure white snow that stuck to his armor. My red armor was almost completely drenched in a blanket of white.

As if out of no where, the sound of unfamiliar voices echoed throughout the mountain, coming from the river right below us.

"Humans! We shall burn them all!" shouted Kovalee, drawing a handle off of his belt. He ignited his energy sword, sending out a burst of blue light. It seemed to fit his personality perfectly.

A grunt crept over to a rock and spied down towards the lake.

"Enemies! Enemies here!" he screeched, running back toward us. No sooner had he said that did I hear Humans yelling and guns being loaded.

I drew my Plasma Rifle, although I had no intent to shoot with it. I simply peeked just above the rock to catch a glimpse of hundreds of shots coming in my direction. I ducked behind the rock, breathing hard, sweat pouring down my face.

Kovalee leaped over both me and the rock. His giant figure soared over me with ease. "Engage!"

I lifted my head again to see all eleven of them running down the hillside. Grunts and Jackals shot furiously out of their Plasma Pistols, letting go of the green bursts rapidly. The Humans, however, used more advanced tactics, drawing away lesser fire so they could take down the important ones: Kovalee.

"God Dammit, that ones got a sword!" shouted one of them, cowering behind a ruin. I could just see the tip of his face, bright red.

I had never seen anybody fight as hard as Kovalee. In my eyes, it looked like everyone was shooting at him, but nothing worked. His energy shields glowed, but did not disappear. He slashed the sword with the precision of a master, not swinging wildily, but calm and controlled.

"I got 'em!" yelled a dark skinned Human, aiming his semiautomatic weapon at Kovalee. He was too slow to get the shot off, though. Kovalee soared in, and felled the Human with one fatal uppercut, slicing into his flesh.

All the Unggoy had been killed, piled up by a pillar. There was one Human, a man that was short, but broad, wearing no head protection, revealing his brown hair, had killed them all with ease, using a human close-range weapon that I had become familiar with. The 'Shotgun'.

"Anderson, the one with the sword!" coughed the dark skinned soldier, laying flat on his back, completely drenched in blood. Sure enough, behind him Kovalee came sprinting from behind a pillar, teeth clenched. Only two more strides and the soldier would be in half.

"BEHIND YOU!" I shouted, not thinking at all. Anderson turned around, Shotgun ready, and caught Kovalee off guard. I ducked down so I wouldn't see. All I heard was the bullet leaving the weapon, and Kovalee screaming in pain.

**"Alien scum!" Anderson shouted. I heard the sound of Kovalee's armor being kicked.**

My heart started to beat incredibly fast, my eyes blurring. I breathed as if I was being choked, with each breath there was a pain in my head. I had aided in the death of my only partner.

I stood up and started walking backwards, hoping to be unnoticed, then broke into a full sprint the other way. I soon realized I hadn't even helped! All I had done was watch, just as I had last time. My Plasma Rifle's battery still read 100.

What was I to do? That was a question I asked myself so many times. Now, I was stuck in the mountains, probably being hunted like an animal, and there was no where to go. My COM system was functioning, but who would contact? The officer, so I could tell him I was a traitor?

I stopped. Behind me, there was some sort of buzzing noise. It came closer and closer, getting louder as it did. I ran faster and faster every time it sounded close, until finally, three Human vehicles skidded in front of me, turrets pointed at my face.

"Don't shoot!" I screamed, realizing it was the first thing I had said in a long time. Casting away my Rifle and Needler, I dropped to the snow.

I got down on my knees and waited. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care if I died At least I would finally be free from this war. In my mind, I knew this was the end.

A soldier got out of the drivers seat and stood in front of me. I didn't dare perk up to look him in the eyes.

"Thank you," he said. For moments I was stunned, confused. A Human was _**thanking**_** me?**

I slowly raised my head, deciding I would take the chance to look at him. Standing before me was the Human's leader, Anderson. He must have seen the hopeless look in my eyes.

"We're not going to kill you, but you're going to answer some questions," he said, stretching out his hand. I grabbed on to it and pulled myself up. It felt strange to be near your enemy, and not think of him as an enemy. The only enemy I had in this war were the remaining Hierarchs, Truth and Mercy, filling Regret's empty void.

"Get in the Warthog. We've got some work to do before we get back to base," he told me, commanding the other 2 'Warthogs' to be on their way. Still unsure about the man, I was still frightened. I got in the vehicle anyway, my fingers trembling.

_**End Transmission**_


	4. I'll Stay in the Car

_**Chapter 3**_****

I'll Stay in the Car

Miles we traveled in the vehicles, the three of us, Anderson, the man on the turret, and I were silent, all caught up in our own thoughts. Thinking over what had happened in the past few days was hard, as if I didn't want to remember, but it kept popping back into my head. This man, could he really trust me after what my kind did to his?

"Why did you do it?"

I perked up, startled. "What?"

Anderson had one eye on in front of us and one on me. "You know, why did you save me back there? Why didn't you just let him kill me?" He sounded uncomfortable as he said this. I could tell he was a bit nervous to be around me, even if he thought I was harmless.

"I don't know," I simply replied, turning my head away so I didn't have to face him. His eyes were the exact opposite of Kovalee's. They were calm and collected, yet fierce and determined at the same time.

"Well, you must have had a reason? It's just not normal that people of your... race... bust their butts to save Humans," remarked Anderson. By all means, he was correct. Even to myself, why I had warned him was difficult to think about. It was like I knew who he was already.

I answered without turning back.

"I don't know,"

He thanked me again, "Well, whether or not you have a reason, I owe you big time. If you hadn't warned me, I'd be in two pieces!" he laughed.

I stared into the distance. The mountains seemed to be endless around here. it was all one large cloak of snow, with no escape. I was about to close my eyes, when something got my attention. There, coming over the mountain, was a small black dot, coming closer and closer at a fast rate. FIve more came over the mountain, following up the leader.

I sat up fast. "They're here," I muttered. No sooner had I realized what the dots were, a green blast from a fuel rod cannon came sailing back at us.

It hit the snow directly in front of us, causing Anderson to make a quick jerk of the wheel , then another to get back into place, while not stopping the vehicle.

"What the Hell?" shouted the young man controlling our turret.

"Banshees! Floor it!" came a voice that seemed to be in the distance. The other two Warthogs faded away through the snow.

"Hold on, Four-Lips, I'm takin' you for a joy ride!" yelled Anderson, grinning hard, as if he had been hoping for this.

Another quick jerk of the wheel made me find myself holding onto my seat for dear life. Three more Fuel 

**Rods erupted around us. The Warthog shook furiously, being damaged by the splash of the cannons into the snow. Anderson gained speed, while the Banshee's followed, swarming around us like we were dead food.**

"It would be helpful if you could take out one of the goddamn Banshees, Burns!" Anderson shouted at the young man on the turret.

"Yes sir!" said Burns, followed by an uncountable amount of shot rounds coming from the gun. From every direction I could hear the sound of Plasma and Fuel Rod cannons being shot.

At this point, I would have been happy to abandon the Warthog and run for my life, but there was something about Anderson that kept me there, that made me want to stick by his side. Still gripping on to the soft leather cusion of the seat, I took a breath, and could only hope.

There was a long pause, where everything was quiet. There were no more plasma eruptions, no more snow being flung into the air, just the soft humming of the Warthog.

"Thats four. There were six," I told Anderson, knowing that we were not out of the battle yet.

"Well maybe they cut us some slack this time around,"

I shook my head, "No. They are here."

Just as I had predicted, two more Banshees swooped down from the skies, attempting to escape, knowing they couldn't stand up to Burns's turret skills.

"Burns...-"

"On it, sir!"

The Banshee's must of realized they were spotted, and took off at full speed, leaving a blue trail as they went. Burns fired again, just nicking the edges of both Banshee's sending them both whirling toward the ground.

I sat there, taking in what had happened. Had they been coming for me? But how could they know what I had done so quick?

Coming to a sudden revelation, Anderson stopped the Warthog.

"The other six... They're gone."

Anderson tried to contact them, projecting his COM system so we could hear.

"This is Sergeant William Anderson, do you read Delta Squad 13? Repeat, this is Sergeant William Anderson, do you read me Delta Squad 13?"

"Sir... Help...Please...!"

There was a horrible crying noise, then the line went dead.

"Crap! I lost 'em! Alright boys, we're heading back to base. We're not giving up on them until we see them all with sticky grenades on their faces!" he shouted, and the Warthog took off over the mountains again.

The terrain seemed to change dramaticly as we came to the top of the mountain. One side was snow, while 

**the other was desert like, built on dust and sand.**

And then, at random, my COM system came on. A familiar voice spoke, sounding furious.

"Major Solonee, you will not escape us after your acts of heresy!"


	5. Hide & Seek

**  
**_**Chapter 4, part 1**_****

Hide & Seek

Covenant Holy City, High Charity  
Ninth Age of Reclamation

"He betrayed us. Betrayed us all. I could tell he was a coward from the moment I stared into his filthy worrying eyes,"

"What are you charging him with?" said an unimpressed Truth, fiddling with his fingernails.

"Heresy on the highest mark. He aided the Human in wounding me, then left me there to die. But that is not all. Our Sangheili pilots said they spotted an Elite 'held captive' in an enemy vehicle. No doubt he has joined the Humans,"

"Is that all you have?" asked Truth, who could care less about the conversation. What did it matter if one Sangheili joined the Humans?

"No. I have come to a conclusion that he has committed yet another crime recently. Our Commander told us that he had come from the other side of the station in a Banshee, and yet the Banshee's propulsion drive was nearly burned out,"

"What are you trying to tell me?" said the San 'Shyuum Hierarch, losing patience with the conversation.

"He was in the tower with the High Prophet of Regret. He was the one that fled. The last living Honor Guard serving him,"

Truth's eyes widened for a moment, then went back to their normal state, as if the boredom had escaped for a moment, but was then captured. Regret's death hadn't even seemed like a flaw in the plan to him. The Sangheili always went on about the stupidest things, involving their 'honor'. What honor was there in being held responsible for the destruction of a Sacred ring?

"If you're assumption is true, then what do you suggest? I shall not deal with a heresy out of my grasp."

Kovalee looked Truth straight in the eyes. "I shall dispose of the heretic,"

I waited for the next words to come out of my helmet, but none did. The SpecOps Commander had broken our connection. I held my breath, hoping everything would just go away, waiting for my troubles to crash and burn. I saw myself on Sanghelios, at peace. Home would feel better than heaven at this point.

Anderson had stopped driving when he heard my message. He was calm, as if everything was going to be fine. As if the storm had already passed.

"Seems like you've got a little problem here. Don't worry, I'll protect you from the bad guys," he laughed, seeming as if he didn't care, though I knew, for some odd reason, he did. But why? Why was I even still alive? So I saved him, but he had all the rights to kill me. I assumed he would, eventually, betray me. I didn't 

**blame him either.**

Anderson informed me of our plan along the way, mentioning stopping at their base, known to them as the 'BeeHive'. From there, we would arm ourselves properly and storm the Covenant interrogation tower, an idea that I did not approve of. Often, these towers were heavily guarded in fear of being breached.

But what would happen if I was found on the way? I was probably already being searched for. Would I fight, or run?

The Warthog pulled up against a rock wall. Anderson got out and began to inspect it, feeling every inch of it, stopping every few seconds as if he were looking for something. I could hear him mumbling human curses under his breath, frustrated. Finally, he nodded and pulled on something: It was a handle that was completely camouflaged into the rock wall! In one yank, a door slid open. I looked up at Burns, who grinned back at me.

"Well, you didn't think we were gonna make it visible, did you?" he asked, chuckling. Anderson turned toward me, noticing I was still in the passengers seat in the Warthog, still gripping the seat.

"You can get out now, Sol, as long as you don't rush in and do one of those wort wort wort things," he laughed.

Never had I been addressed as anything other than 'you' or 'Solonee'. The name Sol excited me, as if it was a symbol if a new start: a symbol of my breakaway from the Covenant and the war.

I slowly made my way out of the Warthog. Both marines were looking at me, waiting for me to enter. I stopped before the door and urged Burns to lead the way. He shook his head.

"Alien races first," he remarked, hopping in the drivers seat of the vehicle, "guide me down."

We guided the Warthog down the metal ramp to the second door, this one being large and metal. Anderson entered a code on the keypad, triggering the locks, opening the door. It revealed a giant room with soldiers running about grabbing weaponry, Warthogs and large metal vehicles, referred to as 'Scorpions', being driven out the opposite way, and the occasional wounded marine being helped through a side door into another room. Every soul in the base was doing something, no one relaxing. So this was what it looked like from the enemies point of view.

The ceiling had Automatic Turrets, similar to the ones we used on High Charity. It looked relatively amazing for a structure that was thrown together in only about a week.

My fascination was interrupted by shouts from passing Marines, some aiming guns at my face, some just standing there, stumped.

"Elite!"

"Somebody kill it, quick!"

"Don't let it get away!"

I looked all around, hoping there was a place to run to, searching for a hiding spot.

Not this time. Anderson grabbed me by the arm as I started walking backwards.

"Hey, he's with us!" he shouted.  


**  
Several Marines gasped, and one yelled "Sarge has gone crazy!"**

"Yes, that's right. He's not an enemy. This is Sol, the Elite that saved my life. If any of you has a problem with that, you can come talk to me!"

The room went silent.

"Well, don't just stand there! I know I'm extremely attractive, but you don't have to look at me the whole goddamn day!"

He turned to me. "Welcome to the UNSC, Private Sol,"

_**Transmission interrupted: Please Stand By.**_**  
**


	6. We're not that Sneaky Anyway

_**Searching for signal... Stand by  
Signal found. Continue Transmission**_

Chapter 5****

We're not that Sneaky Anyway.

"Welcome to the UNSC, Private Sol," said Anderson, clapping his hand on my back. He turned and strode away, accompanied by Burns, leaving me out in the open. I felt everyone's eyes focused on me.

Just as he made his way into another side room, possibly his private quarters, a soldier, bearing a furious look on his face, approached me, bringing four others with him.

Even as he stood inches from my face, his scowl didn't budge.

"Maybe Sarge is fooled by you. Maybe he thinks you're harmless. But in reality, you're a demon. You're a murderer."

"But..."

"Your race is the enemy, whether you think so or not. Just because you saved one of us does _**not **_**mean we trust you. Your damned race killed my brother!" he yelled, and although he didn't mean or expect it, a tear dripped down his furious face. He wiped it away as quick as he could, still not losing the scowl.**

I stood there, hoping he would leave, hoping for the worst to be over. It wasn't.

"You make one move against us, you fire _**one**_** shot in our direction, I won't hesitate to kill you, no matter what Anderson thinks."**

He gave out one more small tear, then shook his head and stormed away with the others.

Kovalee paced back and forth through the Interrogation room. Surely Solonee would be here within the hour, along with the Humans, to try and rescue their fellow scumbags.

Two of the prisoners were killed when trying to fight off the guards and escape. The other four remained in their cells, tortured and weary. Soon they would be dead, along with the Heretic. For Kovalee, it was payback time.

He walked over to the cells, where the prisoners were being held.

"One of you will come with me. I have a job for you."

An entire Human alliance would soon be trapped within his grasp. His intent was to leave none alive.

The room was at its loudest, everyone running back and forth, taking weapons of their choice. Anderson gathered about thirty marines, all huddled around him. I joined beside Burns.

"All right. The Covenant barricade is North of here. We'll be outnumbered by at least a hundred if we try to go through it. The only other option is to break North-East to get around it. We'll have to be extra quiet, though."

"Not such a good idea, Sarge. Our group tried the same thing a few days ago, attempting to steal from their armory. They've placed enormous guns on the peaks. One shot and the Warthog nearly was flipped over the mountain." said a man, leaning against a wall, completely outside of the group. His entire body was painted with bloodstains.

Anderson pondered this. For a moment, I thought he was going to inquire that we try to take that route, but **he didn't. He said something much. much, worse.******

"Men, new plan. We're gonna cut clean through the Covenant barricade," said Anderson, to my horror.

"Sir, last time we tried that we lost almost a quarter of our marines!" said Burns. I hoped that would cut though the Sergeant's idea. it didn't.

"Yeah but last time we didn't have a kick-ass Elite with us! Am I right marines?" Many eyes turned to me. Some groaned, others laughed.

Anderson shook his head, then yelled even louder than before "_** Am I right marines?**_**"**

"Sir yes sir!" many said in chorus. The group immediately split, while we all went to our respective Warthogs.

"Nervous, much?" asked Burns, as I climbed into the Warthog, a spare Carbine in my hand. He must have noticed me shaking in fear.

I didn't answer. Just shook. Believe it or not, I had fired maybe, ten shots in my life. I just wasn't the violent type. Hurting people was like hurting myself, in a way. I was once a peacful race. When I put on that red and gold battle armor, that all went away.

When we finally got going in the Warthog, Burns on the wheel, me in the passengers seat, Anderson beside us,we prepared our plans.

"I'm gonna take out those guns before anything. If it's placed on a peak, it should have a clear shot at you." said Anderson.

I looked up. What _**was **_**I going to do? Hide behind rocks? No. This time I would fight. I would show them I wasn't afraid. Although, deep down, I was like a frightened young boy.**

He could sense that they were coming. The plan was going perfectly. He had sent one of the of the prisoners down to tell their leader about the fake guns, knowing that the man that shot him was ruthless, and wouldn't mind going through our barricade. Solonee would be an easy kill, now.

Kovalee felt the handle on his energy sword. With that weapon, he would clear the name for Elites everywhere.

It didn't suprise him when he heard "They're here! They're here!"

He drew his energy sword and ran to a window. In an upcoming Warthog, Solonee sat, a Carbine in hand. The leader wasn't driving, it was a younger man. Even better.

I hopped out of the Warthog, not knowing what to do. Their were 'enemies' all around me, shooting furiously at the Humans, and every once in a while, at me.

"Snipers! Take them out!" yelled a marine, just before being felled by a purple beam. Sure enough, there were four jackals standing on top of the tower, picking off lazy marines. Within seconds, the battle was in full force.

"Sol, take them out! Quick!" yelled Burns, ducking behind the Warthog for cover.

Uneasily, I followed orders, aimed my Carbine right for the the Jackals head, and fired.

Down it went, rolling off the slant and down to the battlefield below.

I did the same with the other three. Every time I killed one, I ducked behind the Warthog so that the next didn't see me.

"Nice shots, man!" said Burns, getting up and firing an 'SMG' at an approaching Unggoy.

"The Heretic is mine! Do not let him get away!" sounded a loud, booming voice from inside the tower.

I didn't worry too much. I had my new allies to protect me from whoever that was. I continued firing my Carbine at grunts and Jackals. I didn't kill a Sangheili.

Under the armor, I knew that they were still a peaceful race. That they didn't want to be engaged in battle. I spared their lives, today.

Until it happened.

A figure stepped out of the building, energy sword in hand. His armor was shining silver. I knew who it was the second I made eye contact with him.

"Kovalee," I bellowed, watching him approach. Various people fired at him, but it was as if he didn't care. He just kept approaching me. For some odd reason, I didn't shoot.

"Remember me, Heretic? Remember how you abandoned me?" he said, gritting his teeth. He didn't waste much time. He charged at me, swinging wildly. I jumped to the left just in time. He swung again, this time at my neck. I dropped down, then pushed off my legs, rolling away and out of reach for his third attack.

"You coward! First you give our race a bad name, then you don't help in clearing it?" he snapped, unhappy with his first few misses.

"The prophet's death was not by my doing!" I yelled, attempting to clear _**my **_**name.**

"Liar!" he charged at me again, lunging at my legs. I jumped up and to the side, avoiding yet another attack.

"You are a liar and a coward. You don't deserve to serve the Covenant! You still think we are harmless, am I right? You are so wrong! We are a war species, and thats all we'll ever be!"

The words seemed to fly out of his mouth. That was all I could take. I felt that same rage I had felt on the Phantom, only fifty times worse. I finally stared him in the eyes. All the fighting had stopped, and everyone turned to us. I sprinted directly at Kovalee, then faked left an went right. He fell for it, swinging left.

Catching him off guard, I tackled him, knocking away the sword. He fell to the ground with all my weight on top of him. I threw punches so rapidly I couldn't even feel my hands anymore. Every punch gave me that feeling of hatred, delivering blows to his head.

"You will always... be a... heretic!" he bellowed in between punches. That set me on fire. I went berserk, and tightened my hands around his neck.

"I will kill you!" I screamed, tightening my grasp every few moments. But I didn't get more then ten seconds without 2 elites on top of me, pulling me off their leader. I tried my best to shake them, but with Kovalee squirming and two others, I had to let go, give up. The commotion came back into action, both armies shouting at each other, all racing toward me, whether they wanted to help or kill me.

The fighting started again, this time all directed at Kovalee and myself. I found myself sprawling on the ground, the two Elites holding me down for Kovalee . who ignored the pointless rounds being unloaded toward him. Rising to his feet, he smirked, raised his blade high into the air, then slowly guided it closer and closer to my chest.. It was the worst feeling I had ever felt, knowing I was about to die, knowing there was not escape.

Until he came by.  


**Kovalee toppled over me, the tip of the blade just missing my face by inches. I heard two Shotgun bursts go off, then the Elite Minors loosened their grip, and dropped dead beside me. I looked around nervously, only to find Anderson standing before me, shotgun in one hand, grenade in the other. He held a dark look on his face.**

"Sol, get to a Warthog, go back to base. Don't look back," he said calmly, helping me to my feet and rushing me over behind a rock.

"But..."

"Now, Sol! You're a soldier now, and that's an order!"

I did his bidding and climbed into a Warthog. The controls weren't too complicated, and I was out in a few moments. I did look back, however, to see Anderson fighting off several elite majors. A Phantom took off moments later. I knew Kovalee was on board, probably watching me. Spying down from the ship, probably staring deep into my eyes.

"Who is the coward now?" I screeched, turning back to the wheel. I guided the Warthog back the way we came, not looking back. Uneasily, I pulled open the passageway and entered the code on the keypad. 

**I immediately sat down, right there one the floor, looking back into the base, which was almost empty, save for the few wounded marines. I breathed heavily, awaiting Anderson's safe return.**

_**End Transmission**_**  
**


	7. Since You Been Gone

_**Chapter 5**_****

Since you been gone

I didn't sleep much for three whole days, exploring the possible things that might have occurred. If Anderson was alive, why wasn't he back? If he was dead, then...

I stopped myself at that. Sergeant William Anderson was not dead. To me, it was almost as if he couldn't die, that he was invincible. He was the one that picked me up in the Warthog only six days ago, sparing my life, giving me food and shelter,

believing that I meant something to this world.

And then there was Kovalee, who had narrowly escaped in the Phantom. Surely he wasn't finished with me. No, by the power in his voice, I could feel that his ultimate goal was to watch me draw my final breath. I wouldn't give it to him so easily.

_**"We are a war species, and thats all we'll ever be!"**_** the words still sounded in my ears. I began to feel as if I were the only Sangheili left. Those monsters on the battlefield were not Sangheili. They were nothing more then pawns for the Prophets. They were Elites. And although we came from the same world, our intents were different. Mine being to end the conflict in peace, and their's being to wipe out the entire Human race.**

"Failure!" screeched Kovalee, pounding his fist on the wall of the Phantom. He had come so close to regaining his honor, when the Human leader had showed up.

Hatred filled his mind, filled his heart. Killing Solonee was all he cared about now, whether or not he died in the process.

The pilot was flying the Phantom around, going nowhere in particular, giving Kovalee time to think of his next plan.

This time, the Heretic would not escape, and Zens Kovalee would prove himself the Covenant's greatest warrior.

"Don't worry about it man, Sarge isn't dead. He's probably on his way back right now!" said Burns, attempting to turn my emotions around. He had seen me sitting blankly, staring at the wall.

I didn't say anything. Just stared at the door, imagining Anderson opening it, appearing out of the air, being greeted by all his men, a smile spreading from ear to ear.

But it didn't happen. The door remained closed. When I finally lifted my head, I turned to Burns, frowning.

"What do we do now?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, I guess we just wait. I've never really done anything important without Sarge. He sorta guides me through things, helps me when I need it. Without him, I don't think I can fight."

I looked around the enormous room. No soldier smiled. They all had grim looks on their face, as if Anderson was already dead. As if they had lost the war. From time to time I would see them striding about the room, talking to each other silently. There was no laughing.

**That night, when everyone retired, I swiftly snuck out of my room.**

I managed to enter the main room unnoticed, and opened the doors, driving one of the Warthogs out into the night.

If Anderson wasn't coming back, I was coming for Anderson.

When the anger finally died down a notch, Kovalee thought up an idea.

"He came in a human vehicle. He stopped at a human base," he said to the pilot, feeling a rush of adrenaline.

The pilot turned, "So? Wait, you're not insisting that we try to..." he never finished.

"Scan the ground. Find the base."

The cool night air felt good on my face. As I drove, I looked up into the stars every few moments, catching a glimpse of the world above. So calm and peaceful, where as this ring, this was a living hell.

I retraced the path I had taken to the tower, hoping Anderson would be somewhere around that area. Over steep mountains and through narrow tunnels, I guided the Warthog to the interrogation tower.

I stopped when a large pile of rock lay in my way. It took me a few seconds to take in that the rubble was the tower we had fought at only four days ago. A simple explosion probably could have brought the entire structure down.

Over the rubble, I heard voices.

"Is it dead?"

"How should I know? Go touch it with something."

"I'm not going to touch it! It may be alive!"

"Then we'll know if it's dead."

I walked stealthily up the rocks, just enough so that I could see what they were doing. There were four Minor Elites, and a Jackal sniper. But that wasn't all.

William Anderson was lying flat on his back, motionless.

There was a bang on the door. All the Marines looked up in joy.

"Sarge!" yelled a soldier, sprinting to open the door. Cheers rose from everyone as the marine typed the numbers in the keypad. Some two hundred marines ran into the main room, waiting for Anderson to come striding in.

The moment the lock was released, the soldier was knocked flat on his back, coughing and sputtering.

Nine Major Elites entered through the doorway, soon followed by Zens Kovalee, Energy Sword drawn and ready.

"Kill them all, bring Solonee to me!" he yelled, lifting up the injured marine, then running the blade through his chest.  


**  
Burns, taking action as quick as he could, made a jump for the weapon rack, extracting a BR55 Battle Rifle, only to be nailed hard with a blue plasma burst to the arm. Within seconds, the battle, or attack, rather, was underway.**

Blood flooded the room, a chaotic amount of plasma bursts seemed to be endless, flying from one side of the room to the other.. To make matters worse, the attack was followed up by two Hunters, each causing mayhem with their Fuel Rod Cannons. Very few Humans had even armed themselves yet, still in shock that this could have happened so quickly.

"Where is he? Has abandoned his own damned alliance?" Kovalee screamed, showing no mercy to anyone. Anyone that came within range of him was instanly slaughtered.

Then he really lost it.

"If you do not tell me where he is, I shall dispose of all of you. You have thirty seconds."

The fighting stopped briefly.

"For the love of god, we don't know where Sol is!" yelled one brave Marine, shaking his head furiously. Kovalee slowly, carefully cocked his head toward him.

"You have given me no choice. It's a shame you all had to die like this," he said, not really meaning it.

The marines stood still for a moment, then tried to argue, but Kovalee simply turned his back to them, and started out the door.

"Take this, Squid face!" barked a marine, sprinting at Kovalee, winding up for a punch. Without looking back, Kovalee, tossed a Plasma Grenade, over his shoulder, landing square on the soldiers chest. The Humans looked away, then decided not to fight. It was over.

Four Phantoms waited outside, guns pointed at the base. When Kovalee opened the secret door, the Captain nodded.

"Burn this place to the ground."

"Let's take it back to the ship. I'll bet Kovalee will want to see it," said one. I turned my open hand into a fist, and stood on top of the rubble. I peered around. Kovalee's energy sword still lay beside Anderson, where he had dropped it. I waited for their backs to be turned, and then slid down the rocks, charging at the Elite closest to me.

He whirled around just in time so that I could deliver a punch straight to his jaw, knocking him of his feet. I picked up the sword handle, activating it, releasing a burst of plasma. The group readied their guns.

"You will not touch him," I bellowed, holding the sword to to another Elite's neck. He snorted

"Says who?"

I brought the blade closer to his neck, gritting my teeth.

He didn't seem frightened at all. In fact, he seemed to be laughing! And I found out why a moment later.

Another one of them jumped me from behind, catching me off guard. As we made our way to the hard 

**ground, I stuck the sword through his stomach. He let out a gasp of pain, then lay motionless. I raised myself up, and stepped on his body.**

The others backed off, and one pleaded "Alright, you may have him!"

"Too late," I bellowed, my heart racing.

All the feelings I had for non violence drifted away. I leaped four feet and quickly slashed twice at the third Elite's leg, causing him to colapse and roll down the steep hill leading all the way down to the lake. The other fired his Plasma Rifle numerous times, only to have me quickly step to the side and thrust the sword through him. The Jackal tried to use the Beam RIfle while they were down, but couldn't seem to hit the mark at close range. Within a second , I punched the Jackal in the head, cracking its birdlike skull.

I knelt down to Anderson once I was sure they were all dead. His face was more pale then usual. His usual neat hair was hanging down, almost covering his eyes.

I checked for a heartbeat. His heart was beating, but he was unconsious. I sighed, lowering my head.

Dead or alive, the Covenant had attacked my ally. I rose my head and gave a loud war cry that everyone within miles could here. As if to say 'come fight me,' as if to say 'now it's on.'

_**End Transmission**_


	8. Sweet Dreams

_**Chapter 6 **_****

Sweet Dreams

Another attempt down the drain.

"It was as if he knew we were coming! As if he had it all planned out before we had arrived. Worthless coward! The only question now, is where has he gone?" Kovalee asked the pilot, tenacious to find the traitor again. It was one thing to be betrayed, but to have the one you're hunting hiding like a helpless animal was frustrating.

"I wouldn't know, sir," replied the pilot. They were the only two on board the Phantom. No Elite, if given the choice, would want to ride in a small, concealed area with Zens Kovalee.

Kovalee growled in anger. This heretic was unlike any others, with the ablity to escape not one, but _**two **_**attacks! The only reason he didn't give up, right there, was for the sake of his own honor. What would Truth think of him, when he returned to High Charity without Solonee's head in his arms? Humiliation was something he would not live with.**

The biggest problem was where to start. The Phantom flew in circles yet again, by the command of the Ultra.

Hours later, an injured Elite, talking as if he had marbles in his mouth, a broken jaw, sent a message to Kovalee's closed COM.

"Sir, I've seen the heretic!"

Burns slowly crawled out from under the rubble. When he attempted to use his right arm, he only winced in pain. The world seemed a blur. He couldn't remember anything after the plasma bolt had nearly burned through his arm. Luckily, the UNSC had developed many ways to treat plasma burns. His only problem, was that no one was in sight.

He tried to call out, but no sound could exit his mouth. He was trapped. Four figures ran over from the distance. He saw them only as black shadows. One helped him out of the rubble, but he only slipped and fell again, letting ot an ear-covering groan.

"It's okay buddy, just hang in there," said one of the figures, taking something out of his pocket and wrapping it around Burn's arm.

"Are we the only survivors?" asked another.

The medic finished wrapping the cloth, then turned around.

"As far as we know, yes. No one else survived the attack."

It was as if everything painful went away from Burns for a moment. His eyes flickered to life, he lifted his head, and croaked:

"What about Sarge and Sol?"

**I ran the back of my hand down his face, just to see how it felt: to give me hope that the closest thing I had to a friend was still alive. His skin was cold, save for the dried blood on his cheek.**

The best thing, I supposed, is that he was still alive, and would have to wake up eventually. I sighed, lifting my head.

If only they could see.

If only my race could see what the war did to us, maybe they would help me in my quest to end it.

If they ever had the chance to see what the war had done to my family, then they would understand. They would understand what pain really meant.

"Okay, finding them is not going to be easy," said the Hampton, the medic, "I think Burns should come with me. I can give him medical attention, god forbid he needs it."

"Why do we need the Sarge anyway? And the other is an _**Elite**_** for gods sakes! You know, that squid faced thing that just blew up the BeeHive?" said the Marine that held a grudge against Sol.**

Again, Burns drew enough power to say something.

"Because Sarge and Sol are our friends!" he yelled, immediately slipping back into a deep sleep.

"Then its settled. We take two Warthogs, and we go and find our allies."

Kovalee looked out the window: Another Phantom was accelerating toward them at a great speed.

"What is it doing?" he asked the Captain.

"I'm not sure, but I can see it's got it's gun ready. Should we turn around?"

A quick answer from Kovalee:

"No we _**will **_**find Solonee,"**

"But sir!"

"I don't care. Continue your path. I step aside for no one," he murmured, selfishly.

"But..."

It happened so fast: The opposing Phantom's gun fired a large plasma bolt, slamming against Kovalee's dead on.

"Well don't just sit there! Contact them before we're seduced to dust!" he screeched.

"I can't! That shot jammed our radio!

Three more bursts of red plasma drifted toward the ship. To the pilot's horror, the Phantom dropped more and more each second: they were going down.

"I will not die with you!" screamed Kovalee, making a break for the hatch.  


**  
The pilot, frustrated and helpless, turned around. His eyes lasered into Kovalee's. Not many people ever did that.**

"You call Solonee the coward, Zens, but you never look at yourself first. You're the coward, not him."

Kovalee didn't reply. He was already through the hatch and on top of the sinking Phantom. There was only one chance now. He toughened his legs, and sprung forward to the enemy drop ship.

The jump was at least nine feet across. Even with Kovalee's amazing strength, It was nearly impossible.

The leap seemed to last for minutes, as if he was flying. Drawing his Energy Sword from his belt, he waited for the perfect moment.

He crashed into the side, amazed by even his own effort, but was now sliding down off of the Phantom. Lucky for him, he had already drawn his energy sword, which he stuck in the ship, causing him to stop sliding as long as he didn't let go of the handle, which is tricky when your feet are dangling and the closest ground is three hundred feet below.

He did, however, turn back to see his own dropship, with the pilot on board, whirling downward, and finally crashing into the lake below.

Using the sword, he managed to climb up the moving Phantom until he saw the hatch. Before anything, he opened it a crack, just to listen.

"There are still plenty more Sangheili ships that must be taken down. Any survivors are not to be trusted, as none are satisfied with the Changing of the Guard."

Changing of the guard? Kovalee had no idea of what was happening at High Charity right now.

He took a chance, opening the hatch just an inch more, and peered down. A furry beast glared back into his eyes.

The Brute growled in anger, then thrust the hatch open, leaving Kovalee revealed to a whole Phantom full of Brutes.

His energy sword in hand, Kovalee ignored that there were twenty Brutes and one of him. He dove down the hatch, slashing and stabbing at any Jiralhanae in his way.

I heard the soft humming of Warthogs in the distance. I pulled Anderson to his feet, his knees buckling, and lifted him up on my back, holding on to his arms.

Minutes later, a medic, three Marines, and Burns pulled up beside them.

"Is he okay? said the medic, rushing over to Anderson. I nodded

"He is alive, but is deeply unconscious," I replied. The medic sighed.

"Yes, we've got one of those too," he said, pointing at a sound asleep Burns. He continued.

"My guess is that all the trauma they've been through lately is finally taking action. The best thing for them to do is rest."

**I looked around. All the Marines had small wounds, except Burns, who had some kind of wrapping around his arm.**

"What happened?" I asked, half not wanting to hear the answer.

The medic parted his red hair, and turned to me.

"Grab Sarge and get in the Warthog you took. I'll explain everything on the way to our backup base."

_**Backup base?**_** I thought, **_**What's wrong with the Beehive?**_****

It was no surprise when he started explaining the story, when I heard the word Ultra.

What more was there to say?

_**End Transmission**_**  
**


	9. We Must Protect this House Better!

_**Chapter 7**_****

We Must Protect this House... Better.

"It was my fault, then," I asked Hampton over my COM system. He was in front of me by about ten feet, but we couldn't talk to each other regularly over the roar of the Warthog. Only Moments ago, he had explained to me what had gone on at the BeeHive in my absence. He told me about how Kovalee had stormed in, asking for me. When they had not handed me over, he resorted to blowing the rocks that held the base to pieces.

"I'm sorry. If I had stayed, they would all be alive," I bellowed into the COM system, choking back a tear; my acts of selfishness almost cost me the only people that I trusted.

"Its not your fault. This war does horrible things to people, and its nobody's fault," he replied. In his voice, I could feel a hint of Anderson himself, how he didn't blame me, as others had done many times before, but forgave me.

"My point exactly. Is Burns awake yet?"

"No, but he's showing some signs of waking, then just drifts back to sleep. He was hit pretty hard with that Plasma shot. Its lucky he survived. How is Anderson?" he asked. It seemed as if there was no worry in his voice. Then again, he must have been experienced with things like this.

"He's still breathing, but hasn't woken yet. I'm worried. It's been almost four days since the battle, and he hasn't shown one sign of him waking." I replied, looking again into the passengers seat only to see Anderson strapped against the seat, unconscious.

"Just hang tight. We'll be at our new base soon, and I'm sure he'll receive plenty of help."

We continued down the dirt path, unaware that we were being watched the whole time.

One by one the Brutes went down, yelling and charging at Kovalee, who had fire in his eyes, slashing anything that came his way. It didn't take long for the battle to be narrowed down to Kovalee and one more Brute, who was armed only with his bare fists, although he didn't intend to use them.

"You will tell me what I want to know, and I will let you live, unlike the rest of your mates," he said, looking around at all the motionless gorilla bodies laying on the ground. He snickered at the pools of blood.

The Brute backed up to the wall, as Kovalee pursued him, keeping the bright energy blade at his neck the entire time.

"What is it you want to know?" the Brute asked, trapped between the wall and Kovalee's fury.

"This Changing of the Guard, what is it?"

"Two days ago, the noble Prophet of Truth announced that the Sangheili were to be replaced by the Jiralhanae as the Covenant's warriors and protectors,"

Kovalee growled so loud that the hair rose on the Brute's neck, skimming the blade. Kovalee shook his head in disbelief, but did not move the sword.

"And now, your filthy race is trying to _**eliminate **_**the Sangheili? Why not put you in charge and be done with it? Let us continue to fight?"  
**

**  
The brute breathed hard, "The Hierarchs do not trust your kind, after the noble Regret's assassination."**

Kovalee growled longer and louder than before.

"And what if I were to return to High Charity right now, and kill Truth himself?"

"Well, actually...sir... High Charity is being breached by the Parasite as we speak," bellowed the Brute.

Kovalee looked like he wanted blood, but held his temper for a few moments, Kovalee pulled the blade back, but his eyes fixed upon the Brute.

"You left out a very important detail, didn't you? Care to tell me anything else?"

The Brute shook his head.

"Well then, I guess we're finished here," said Kovalee. The Brute started to move forward off of his immobile place when Kovalee swung around. The ruthless Elite Ultra stabbed into the Brute's furry hide, silencing him.

"Is that it?" I asked, gazing at a large, metal structure that, unlike the BeeHive, was totally visible. Couldn't anybody, at any given time, attack?

"Nope. Thats not even half of it," claimed Hampton. "It goes underground almost two hundred feet. I wouldn't really call it a base, it's more of the weapons manufacturing place, but its the best we've got. It was constructed before we got here."

All three of our Warthogs pulled up against the side of the structure.

"Is there a door?" I asked, scanning the wall as Anderson had done with the BeeHive.

Hampton climbed out of the Warthog, brushing dirt off his grey medic suit. "Yeah, but this one is not so easy to find. There's a hatch leading down underground, but it's buried under a ton of dirt. It could take hours, days to..."

"Found it," called a Marine from the other side of the Warthogs. I looked over. It was the Marine that despised against me for simply being the race that killed his brother.

Hampton shook his head, defeated.

We climbed down the hatch, the two marines that I didn't know, the one that hated me, Hampton, with Burns in his arms, and me, carrying Anderson.

The moment we were all down, six soldiers with SMGs hustled in front of an automatic door and took aim. I tried my best to hide behind Hampton, knowing that they would shoot an Elite at sight.

"This is ONI personnel only! You have thirty seconds to leave, or we will take action!" yelled the guard in front, decked out in battle armor.

"You don't understand, we're survivors of the BeeHive attack!" yelled Hampton. The lead guard was unimpressed.

"I have orders sir, and if you do not exit the building in twenty seconds, we will shoot," said the guard.

**Hampton stood his ground. "We will not leave! Please, we need help! We have two injured soldiers, and no base!"**

"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three. .." I couldn't stand there any longer. I put Anderson down, slid out from behind Hampton, and leaped straight at the guard, knocking his gun up and out of his hands, then pushing him over into the other five.

"Stop! Stop!" yelled a man in a grey Captains suit, waving his arms as he came through the door.

"You can come through. In the name of god, what were you thinking, Wesley?" he asked the six foot five guard, laying on top of his crew.

"Sir, they have an Elite with 'em! He can't be trusted with the b-..." his voice trailed off, shooting a suspicious glare at me.

"That is Private Solonee! He's on _**our **_**side! And these people, they're the survivors of the BeeHive attack!" yelled the Captain. He turned to us. "I'm so sorry I had to put you through that. Follow me, bring your wounded," he finished. Hampton and I looked at each other, then shrugged**

The hallway seemed to be a maze of obstacles: there were security devices placed in every corridor. Just as Wesley had, every Marine shot me a look of hate and suspicion. I showed no emotion, as if I hadn't seen them at all.

When we got to a locked door, the Captain entered a code on the keypad, opening the door and revealing a giant room, similar to the BeeHive, but not as empty. Instead, it was filled to the top with crates and boxes.

Everywhere, there were walls of Grenades, Battle Rifles, SMG's, Shotguns, and many other Human weaponry I had no Intel on. There was also a wall of Energy weapons, probably collected from dead Covenant.

There were weapons like giant lasers, turrets, and so many more. Even a whole wall of armor plating, the same the Demon had been wearing when I had seen him.

"I suggest you take a look around. It doesn't look like you have too many weapons on hand," said the Captain. The Humans ran toward the nearest weapon wall, picking out weapons of their choice. I stayed behind.

The Captain approached me, a smile spread across his face.

"Not to big on weapons, eh?"

I sighed, "No. Not at all."

The Captain wasn't disappointed. He only nodded.

"Wanna know what's in that room over there?" he asked, pointing at a large door that had AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY on the front.

I shrugged my shoulders, then nodded, even though I couldn't care less.

His grin widened, and walked over to it, typing in a long number that had at least sixteen digits.

When it opened, he quickly grabbed my arms and pulled me in, quickly pressing the CLOSE button on the opposite side, obviously not wanting anyone to see into the room.

**I turned around and looked at something, resembling a giant Plasma Grenade. It was being held down by several wires, all sorts of machines surrounding it.**

I was speechless.

"This here is a bomb that the UNSC has had from the beginning of the conflict, codename _**Last Resort**_**. When fired, this baby will slowly detonate. Small explosions at first, but in time, about twenty minutes exactly, you'll get the big bang. Now, the Office of Naval Intelligence wouldn't want me telling you all of this, but you deserve a little treat. I heard you were one of those Honor Guard things before you joined us. Just so you know, you're the first UNSC Marine that's not human."**

I shook my head, gazing back at the bomb. It wasn't even armed, and I could feel the sting of the explosion by just looking at it.

There was a loud thud, and a Marine's shrill voice echoing through the building, coming from the entrance. The Captain whipped around.

"Someone's here."

_**End Transmisson **_**  
**


	10. Reunion

_Chapter 10_

**Reunion**

I froze. Kovalee? Or something worse? The Captain raced to the door, violently banging on the red button to let him out. He flung himself toward the weapon racks, snatching the nearest Battle Rifle and running toward the entrance, where a barricade of Marines stood, weapons aimed and ready. I took one last look at the bomb, then turned and followed him.

The room boomed with shouting and guns loading. It was as if everyone was prepared for this to happen. I stood in the middle of the confusion.

" Seal the doors! Arm yourselves! _Protect Last Resort!"_ Captain Conners barked. I looked for Hampton, as a guide. Through the mass of people I couldn't pick out his grey suit. Instead, I stood right in that spot, and listened.

Beyond the door, I could hear faint voices; Elite voices, for sure. My heart beat faster and faster every second. Could Kovalee have found me yet again?

I braced myself as the voices grew louder and louder. Every soul in the room concentrated on the entrance. There was a bang on the door, just as Hampton had described Kovalee's attack. No doubt was Hampton thinking the same thoughts as me. Another bang on the door, this one louder. Another bang dented the door, followed by the final, loud blow. The door was blown off its hinges and was shot forward into the crowd.

"Open fire!" the Captain's voice boomed as loud as thunder. The shots bombarded where the door had once stood, now swept in a mass of grey smoke. Grenades were tossed into the opening, even one rocket was released through the gap. There was no sign of an intruder.

"Quiet!" Hampton yelled, listening closely. The small taps of slow footsteps sounded in the room.

"It's invisible. Have your guns ready, men."

The footsteps stopped, and now only the breathing of three hundred people rang in my ears.

And then the steps started again, this time gaining speed and momentum. I whirled around. Marines were being pushed to the side by…nothing. Before I had time to call out, the head of a Plasma Rifle collided with my chest, sending me plummeting to the ground. I felt the icy tip of the rifle resting on my head.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Save for Kovalee, the Phantom was empty, with the exception of the bloody, lifeless bodies of the dead Brutes. He sat silently, arms folded, in the cockpit, where the Phantom flew itself on Auto-Pilot. What was his next move? He barely had an idea of where to start. When he had received the message that Solonee had been spotted, he had taken into consideration that he had to be somewhere, at some base. A weakling such as himself wouldn't be caught dead living by himself in the open.

And now, a hunt? His own race, being tracked down and slaughtered like animals? He snarled. No one would land a blow on Zens Kovalee. Ever. Even he realized his skills and strength were inimitable. Who could ever match his extraordinary talents on the battlefield. He could kill Solonee with one mighty kick to the stomach. But where to start? He had been betrayed, deceived. The Covenant that he had once seen as the conquerors of the galaxy had only lied. They had only given the Sangheili a chance to get themselves killed. That was it. He rose out of his seat, temperature rising.

He was alone, and would die alone, with no one by his side. No one to help him. That was it. If he was going down, everyone would go down with him. How he would do it wasn't yet clear to him.

Unless…

There had been rumors going around that the humans possessed a weapon. A weapon so powerful, that it could rip the landscape apart, little by little. But was it on this ring? Would they have brought a suicidal weapon to a bigger suicidal weapon?

There was only one way to find out

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The metal floor seemed to harden every second. I didn't dare look up to see my attacker. My face was pressed hard against the ground, but I could hear the voices, twenty at a time, yelling at each other.

"Shoot and he dies," I heard the voice above me snarl. It was a familiar voice, one that I had heard recently, although I couldn't quite place it…

I couldn't see, but I knew Conners was hesitating, wondering if my life was worth saving.

"Hold fire!" he yelled, although I could the croak in his voice. He wanted to pull his words back into his mouth.

"We do not wish you harm," the Elite spoke, "We wish to…" he stopped, and then drew his breath, "Aid you. We wish to fight by your side."

His words erupted throughout the room, which fell silent. I carefully lifted my head to see the human's expressions. They stared at him, then at me. Conners raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"You? _You _want to help _us?_" he continued, "I don't buy it. You filth couldn't help s if you tried," he muttered, still shaking his head in shock. Realizing the Plasma Rifle had been drawn from my head, I stood up, and slowly turned my body. I came face to face with a black armored Elite. He wore a different battle helm then the rest of us, having one long spike travel from his eyes all the way back behind him, as well as two side spikes. His shoulder and knee plates were enhanced as well. On his belt, he carried an Energy Sword handle. He was the Special Operations officer that I had met when I returned to high charity… the one that had sent me the threatening message. And there he stood, in front of my face, pleading for mercy.

"Solonee! In the name of the gods, what were you thinking? Why did you abandon your partner?"

I squinted, and took a step forward. Now our faces were only inches away. I no longer feared him.

"Kovalee has gone mad. He tried to kill me. He lured me into his assassination plan," I said painfully. I remembered the Ultra storming out the door of the tower, sword in hand, laughing.

"I can't imagine why?" he snapped, "But we did not come here to argue with you," he stepped away from me to see the crowd of humans, guns still directed at him.

"Wait, wait, wait… _we?_" the Captain asked, confused, "You mean there are more than two Elites present in my base?"

The officer nodded, then said something in our language, meaning 'Show yourselves'. Immediately, six Special Operations Elites appeared on the scene, all standing behind their leader. They were unarmed.

"We were attacked by our rival race, the Brutes. They bombarded our campsite, and killed all of our troops but these six and myself," the officer explained. He turned to me, "Solonee, the Brutes have taken our place. The Hierarchs have ordered the immediate execution of our kind. They betrayed us, Solonee. We were not the rightful heir to these rings after all."

The Jiralhanae, stealing our position as protectors of the Hierarchs? I had seen it coming since I heard Truth's hostile broadcast at High Charity, but didn't think it could happen… quite like this. It seemed that I had more than just Kovalee to worry about.

Conners stepped into our conversation, unimpressed.

"Aaaaah, boo hoo. The little squids don't get to guard the big bastards? Why should we care?"

"Because we can help you win this war! We will serve as your guardians…"

"Are you saying we can't win this war on our own?"

"That is exactly what I am saying!"

"Stop!" I cried, forcing myself between the two leaders, who were both in mid- windup for a punch. I could feel four hundred eyes staring at me. Conners sighed.

"Listen. We know what we're doing. We don't need you, we don't need grunts, we don't need anyone. You can only cause chaos in this war. No, I think it's best if you just get on out of here."

"And I think that idea is bull," the voice traveled through the entire room. I knew that voice. I whipped around to see Sergeant William Anderson, followed by Private Jacob Burns. Both strode out of the medical wing door and into the main room. I laughed, running over to him.

"How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby."

Conners nodded in Anderson's direction. The officer did the same. Plowing through the Elites, Anderson grabbed the Captain's collar, pulling him closer.

"What kind of twisted leader are you? This guy wants to put his life on the line to help us, and you reject him like that?"

Conners shivered, shaking his head so quickly that I couldn't count how many times it went back and forth. "No sir. I… he… he's one of _them…"_ he pleaded, waiting for the Sergeant to release him.

"Then what is Sol, Captain? Is Sol not one of _them?_" I could see Anderson fuming, angered by the Captain's ignorance. Conners had no answer. Anderson let go, letting the Captain fall to the ground. Anderson was in charge now, and nobody argued his sudden appearance. He turned back to the SpecOps officer.

"Welcome to the crew… uh…"

"Zanakee. Rymn Zanakee." He said, nodding his head.

"Right, right. Another double 'e' fellow," Anderson chuckled. My mind jolted to a quick, unexpected holt. If this wasn't Kovalee, where was he now?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kovalee made his descended near a small Human camp. There were only four marines, from his view. Perfect.

"What the… take it down, quick!" one of them screamed to the soldier on the turret, who fired rapidly at the incoming dropship, having no effect whatsoever.

The ship landed gracefully beside the campsite. The other three marines armed themselves with BR55 Rifle's, standing just outside the door, taking their preferred battle stances. It was a shame they didn't know who would burst the door open.

And then they found out.

It was a quick attack, Kovalee launching himself out of the ship and onto one of the soldiers, knocking him off his feet. The Energy Sword, of course, was run through his neck.

"Pull back!" yelled the leader, backing up and tossing a fragmentation grenade at the attacker. Using only his left hand, Kovalee caught the grenade in mid flight, hurling it back at the leader. The detonation went off at his feet, sending him soaring ten feet into the air.

The turret bombarded him, nearly knocking off his shields. He dove to the side, letting the automatic bullets crack against the front of a rock. If it weren't for Kovalee's unmatched grenade placement, this could have been the end. He snatched a Plasma Grenade from his belt- his last grenade- and threw it submarine-like. It hung onto the head of the turret. Before the poor soldier could move, his last vision became a burst of blue fire.

And, at last, the fourth. He hid behind a stone wall, trying his best to conceal his breathing. He could hear the soft buzz of the Energy Sword near him. He slapped a hand on top of his mouth to prevent from gasping.

It was too late.

Kovalee grabbed him by the neck, raising him up against the rock. The blade was inches from his chest.

"You will tell me what I want to know, or you shall experience pain unknown to your race," Kovalee threatened.

"Bastard!" The marine yelled, throwing his fist against Kovalee's solid silver armor. He didn't even feel a tickle, and yet the Human's hand glowed red with blood already.

"Do not be stupid, scum. You will not defeat me. Perhaps with a bit of motivation you will cooperate."

He flicked the blade. The edge just barely caught the marine's skin, and yet it hurt as if he was stabbed three times with a knife. Blood dripped from his shirt. He screamed in pain, tears running to his eyes.

"Alright! I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!" he screeched, red faced. Kovalee only laughed at the Human's suffering.

The plan was running smoothly.


	11. Please Refrain from Touching the Bomb

_Chapter 11_

**Please Refrain from Touching the Bomb**

The location was set.

Luckily, it was easy to get information out of the incompetent ones. The ones who screamed and cried and squirmed. Those were Kovalee's favorites.

He ascended in the Phantom, leaving behind the poor Marine's massacred body, nearly in half after the blow from the sword. The bomb _was _on this very ring. And not far, either. Things couldn't have grown more convenient.

A ninety- four mile radius. That was how far the bomb's splash damage could travel. It was more powerful than any human nuke. He could take easily severely damage- or destroy- High Charity, from ninety four miles away.

He gunned the Phantom forward, still unaware of who inhabited the base he was going to.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Anderson and Zanakee talked for a long time, requesting to be alone. Burns approached me, giving me a nod and a smile. He sat down on the bench next to me. The room was quiet again. Most of the marines were sound asleep in their small, cramped dormitories.

"Hey man. It's been a while, huh?" he asked, nudging me. The boy was always smiling. I couldn't help but give a small, faint laugh. Even he could spread cheer in these painful times.

"Hello, Jacob."

"Call me Burns. Jacob is too formal around here," he laughed again. Was this boy ever _not _smiling?

Burns turned away for a moment. I could hear a small whimper come out of his mouth. He clutched his arm, leaning over.

"Are you alright?"

He shook his head, "Nah. Man, I'm still aching from that plasma shot. My right arm is still really numb."

I grabbed his hand, pulling it off of his arm. "Touching it only makes the wound toughen and resurrects the burn. You have to avoid moving that arm as much as possible. In time, the flesh will heal."

He looked at me, head to the side, confused, "How do you know that?"

"I was hit with plasma."

"When? We usually don't use plasma based weaponry."

I shook my head, sighing, "It's a long story," Although it really wasn't. It was a short story, but one that was painful to relive. There are things that happen that are dreadful to look back on. That was one of them.

Anderson and Zanakee walked back into the main room, shook hands, then jogged over to Burns and I.

"Alright boys. We've talked a bit, and decided our next move. First off, we'd like you to meet the newest members of our squadron."

"Cholahee, Sikanoy. I know you're there," said Zanakee. Almost instantly, two Special Operations Elites deactivated their active camouflage and appeared next to me. I jumped up in surprise, backing up several steps before coming to my senses.

"Now, must you scare our new allies with such an entrance?" Zanakee demanded. They looked at each other, then nodded. Zanakee went on, "Solonee… or Sol, as I believe they're calling you, this is Cholahee, and this is Sikanoy." he motioned toward the two Elites. They were in no way different looking, save for Cholahee, who had a small, white covenant insignia in the top right corner of his torso: A glowing ring.

"They each possess similar skills on the battlefield. Their vehicle abilities are undeniably unmatched, while they sometimes lack sharpshooting, it is made up for with their hand to hand techniques. Although they can sometimes be mischievous, they are among my greatest warriors."

I nodded at the two Elites, who, sarcastically, dropped on their knees and bowed.

Anderson spoke again, this time very serious.

"Now that we've all got to know each other, let's get on with the real stuff. I've received a message from Avery J. Johnson. He says he's got a plan to break into this ring's control room. He's thinking about asking an Elite for help… but he says it's not just any Elite. This is one that the Prophet's have chosen specially. Johnson thinks he's the only one capable of helping."

"The Arbiter," Zanakee and I said in Chorus.

"You know him?"

"It is not a position we hope for. The Arbiter is sent on perilous missions that only he can fulfill," Zanakee replied.

"In shorter terms, it's suicide," said Sikanoy.

Anderson cut in again, "Anyway, I'm telling you this because you should know we're getting off this ring shortly. Until then, we have to hold our ground here. Johnson made damn sure to tell me _not_ to send reinforcements, and that he could handle it. You know how what's-his-face feels about the bomb being here," he said, addressing the humiliated Captain Conners, "We have to try not to mess something up. Easy enough, right?"

"Wrong," Cholahee and Sikanoy said together.

Anderson shook his head, sighing, although I could sense he wanted to laugh.

"Well, we might as well get something going to pass the time."

Zanakee looked up at me.

"How are you with a sword?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kovalee was tense: who could sit still when they were about to wipe out both his enemy race, and his own? The answer was everyone but Kovalee.

His life had been spent in anger. The reason was still unknown. Most said he took after his father, a former Field Master in the Zealot Offices. After his father plunged himself into battle and was killed almost instantly, Kovalee's heart had sank. Not the same as Sol's, though, who had lost his father in a much different way. Sol had went into depression, while Kovalee was swallowed by rage. In some ways, they were similar. In others, complete opposites.

The bloody heretic had probably forgotten all about him.

He was in for a surprise.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Was it just me, or was nothing easy anymore? Was there ever a time when one could do as he pleased, without being asked something that they are incapable of doing?

Sword practice? Really? When would I ever be in a sword fight? I agreed anyway. There wasn't much else to pass the time.

"When wielding a sword, you must be patient. Let your opponent strike first, then attack _defensively. _I tell you this because I have seen lives lost in battle because they have simply lunged at an opponent, rather than defending himself. Now, strike me," Zanakee finished, releasing his sword from its handle and holding it in front of his eyes.

I hesitated, afraid to injure my newest ally. I drew the sword that Cholahee had lent me, and held it in front of my own face. I took a deep breath, sneaking one last look at Zanakee, then threw myself at him, waving the sword wildly.

It seemed to happen so quick: Zanakee blocked my attack, twisted the sword out of my tightened hands, then kicked me over. I gasped when I hit the dirt ground. Sighing, I stood up, foreseeing the lecture ready to greet me.

"Wrong! If this were a real battle, you would be dead on eye contact! Concentrate, Sol. Be patient with your attacks, and wait for your opponent to slip; wait for an opening."

I nodded, still disgusted with myself for losing so quickly. I raised the sword again, this time concentrating hard on the blade, trying my best to keep it steady and graceful.

The session lasted for hours. Anderson, Burns, Cholahee, Sikanoy, and the 'hating marine' as I now called him, yawned in boredom. I would have to, had Zanakee been kind enough to lower his weapon once.

Zanakee shook his head. "This is a disgrace. I have never taught anyone as arrogant as you."

"Give me one more chance. I can do it."

"Kovalee won't give you a second chance."

"Then you must."

He pondered this for a moment, then sighed, nodding. He raised his weapon one more time. I raised mine.

We circled around each other, our swords pointed in the other's direction. I waited for Zanakee to give me an opening. I looked behind me: the rest of them were no longer yawning, but watching 

intently, as if they were learning something from it. Finally, I rested my feet in one spot. Zanakee did the same.

I faked a quick slash to the right, where Zanakee went out to block. Perfect.

I pulled the sword back, and got low to the ground, and slid my foot hard at Zanakee's. My heel struck his shin so hard I could hear his armor crack a bit. He toppled head over heels, the sword deactivated beside him. I half expected him to climb to his feet angry, but instead, he pulled himself up, and nodded, congratulating me.

Cholahee, Sikanoy, and Burns raised me up on their shoulders and paraded me around the base. Anderson and Zanakee stayed behind

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"The boy's got potential, that is certain, although I'm not sure how long potential will last against Kovalee."

"How can you tell he'll ever have to see Kovalee again? For all we know, he could be dead," Anderson pointed out.

"Zens Kovalee was a madman from the moment I met him. He takes after his father, for sure. You obviously don't understand, Sergeant. Kovalee will slaughter everything that gets in his way. Sol will need more than a quick figure to take him down."

"Then what will he do when the time comes?"

"I can guide him as best I can. The tide has turned. Races that were once mortal enemies now fight side by side. Those who object must be silenced."

There was a silence for a while, until Anderson looked up again.

"Where do you think he is now?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Closer than they thought.

He could spot the base the soldier had described. It was a metal, dome like structure built into the mountainside. It seemed to be at the bottom of a large canyon.

He drew the Phantom closer: figures came into view. There were several Humans, as long as three Elites. Three Special Operatives and one… heretic. His blood red armor glowed in the sun. Was Kovalee truly alone on this? Even his own kind had betrayed him?

They would see.

He pulled the Phantom behind the mountain, being sure to keep low so that they wouldn't spot him. If he wanted to get the bomb, he had to infiltrate the base, but how could he extract the bomb? Who knew how large it was? His only other option was to draw it up with the Gravity Lift.

Changing directions again, he drew the Phantom closer and closer to the base, attempting to land behind it unnoticed.

Lower.

Lower.

Lower.

The Phantom met the ground at the backside of the base.

It was time.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"I swear, I saw something! Something just went behind the base!" Cholahee yelled, pointing.

"What? What did you see?" Zanakee asked.

"I don't know, I just saw something move. But I _know _it's there!"

"You're hallucinating," remarked Sikanoy, followed by a hard look from Cholahee.

I looked up: there was nothing in sight, but dust was kicking up off the ground. A chill ran down my spine.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kovalee climbed out of the Phantom, looking at the dome in front of him. How was he to extract the bomb? The main entrance was much too obvious. After all, it was a weapons manufacturing building, probably heavily guarded.

He drew his Energy Sword, and approached the dome. He set his feet, crouching down as far as he could, steadied his sword, and launched himself as high as he could into the air, then thrust the sword into the metal, piercing the dome, jumped as he had done when he jumped across the Phantoms. The sword held him up, and he used it to launch himself further up the structure until he reached the top.

He cut a small hole in the steel, and peered down into the opening:

The room was bigger than he had expected. It went underground. There were different kinds of weapons as far as the eye could see. Guards stood at the entrance and in front of a door that read AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. The bomb? Most likely. Kovalee slid back down the dome and ran back into his ship.

He raced into the cockpit, lifting the Phantom back into the air, and preparing the tri-guns.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

We all stared up at the drop ship in awe. It raised just above the metal dome-like base.

Kovalee.

It had to be.

But why was he here? How did he find me, and what reason did he have for coming here? Surely he would die.

I gasped, coming to a revelation.

Last Resort.

The bomb.

Kovalee.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

All three guns aimed directly above where Kovalee felt Last Resort was. He made sure they were targeted just right- he couldn't miss his hit-.

He unloaded the vicious red and purple plasma on to the top of the base, cutting through the old metal like scissors on paper. The base immediately went into chaos.

"We're under attack! Get the rockets! Get the turrets! Just get _something!_" Hampton shrilled, sprinting for a rocket launcher.

Horrible screams erupted from a group of marines who had run out of luck, and had stood on the spot where the bursts struck. It burned right through their bones, seducing them to skeletons.

Captain Conners had not even been injured, but was in the worst shape.

"They're here for the bomb," he murmured, darting across the floor and throwing himself in front of the door to the bomb. Kovalee didn't hesitate to aim all three guns in his direction, and literally blew the helpless leader to dust.

Then he moved the Phantom a bit to the right, hovering right above the bomb room. He took down the ceiling and activated the Gravity Lift. He peered down from the window: there it was. Magnificent. It physically looked like a giant version of a Plasma Grenade, blue with yellow lines running down it. It was strapped down by large chains and held in a cage. Did they really think that would help? He blew through the cage and took careful aim to destroy the chains, making sure that he wouldn't hit the bomb in the process.

The Gravity lift raised Last Resort into the air, soared above the base, then landed safely in the cargo bay. Perfect.

He would have loved to stay and kill Solonee, but he had better things to do.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Anderson ripped open the trap door, forgetting the ladder and leaping down the hole. We followed, sweat running down our brows.

"We have to stop him!" Anderson screeched, running to a heavy weapon rack.

"He is too far now. You're weapons will be of no use," said Zanakee.

"That's what you think."

He tore a large, cannon like weapon from its rack, and looked around wildly.

"I can't get out in time!" he yelled. It was true. By the time he had retraced his steps back up the trapdoor, Kovalee would be long gone. I looked around. There was a large hole in the roof, as well as crates stacked on top of each other.

"The crates!" I yelled, pointing at the boxes. He nodded, and began climbing up, two crates at a time. He gasped for air when he reached the top. He nodded to the rest of us, and raised the cannon.

"Sarge, wait! The Spartan Laser cannon isn't ready yet!"

"It'll have to do."

He held down the trigger... I saw a red light flash out of the cannon, but it was not a laser, just a light. I sighed, then looked up again to have the largest red beam I had ever seen flash before me.

"Got 'em!"

He climbed back down the boxes, throwing the Spartan Laser aside.

"Burns and Parker, you two will ride with me. He's crashed on the mountainside, but the laser wasn't powerful enough to destroy it. Sol, Zanakee, Cholahee and Sikanoy will follow us up," he ordered. Parker was the marine that hated me.

Everyone but Anderson and myself raced out of the room, leaving the two of us behind.

"You alright?" he asked. I shook my head and sighed.

"I can't do it, Anderson. I can't fight him… I can't kill him," the words slipped out so quick. I wished I could take them back, but it was too late.

"So that's it? So now, after everything, you're just going to give up? You're just going to let him win? Sol, you made the choice to run from the prophet. You made the choice to save my life. You made the choice to come back when I was down and save me _again!_ And now you have to make this choice, Sol. What do you want to be? A heretic, or a hero?"

I stared at him, astonished that he could come up with such words in a matter of seconds. His eyes stabbed back into mine, letting the words sink in. he shook his head and turned away.

"Do whatever you want. I don't care anymore."

I was absolutely disgusted with myself. How could I let them all down after all they had done for me? I turned and headed toward the weapon racks.

_End Transmission_


End file.
